Momentum

Life has been pretty overwhelming lately and it feels strange to say that it’s working out nearly exactly how I’d planned. I think I’ll start doing a weekly roundup of what I’ve been up to, not necessarily because I want to brag or even think people are interested but I do want to make sure I’m documenting most things so I have an opportunity to reflect and write a few words about them. This past week has been the perfect example of how things have been going so let’s give this a whirl.

Media.

Appearing on ABC News Breakfast was a really cool experience. This is the first live cross I’ve done as an interviewee from a remote location and I thought it was interesting that this whole setup is done with an iPhone, light, mic and a phone call. Movie magic!!

I actually think this is one of the better interviews I’ve done which may speak to a touch of confidence being accrued after being on air a fair bit in the past few weeks. Here’s another bit of movie magic for you, we were getting sprayed with rain the whole time we were down at the beach and by looking at the frame and hearing the audio, I’m pretty surprised with how nice it all looked after knowing how bad the weather was on the morning.

Gratitude.

After doing so much media and trying to promote Attacking Life as much as I have in the past few weeks you always wonder how many people take notice but it’s nice to hear back from people every now and again with a bit of feedback. Whether or not this email came from someone following the media trail, knowing my story previously or through word of mouth, it’s stuff like this that is really cool to hear.

Posting this feels a little self indulgent and it’s definitely not the only message I’ve received like this. One thing I will always appreciate is when people who go out of their way to say something nice. I’m a big believer in gratitude and moments like this are something I am incredibly grateful for!

Speaking.

My speaking this week all fell on the same day which is a handy use of time but also an added layer of stress for something that I already do find quite stressful. My day started out with a presentation to the Wollongong Primary Principals Council which was an intimate and very emotional experience.

I was lucky to have my beautiful wife there supporting me and I know if I can make her shed a tear during a story she’s heard countless times I must be doing something right. I did receive a piece of feedback where it was recommended that I place a ‘no mascara warning’ at the start of my presentation which is funny in itself but also a credit to an open and supportive group that I was speaking to.

This was followed by a drive up the motorway to Wil Massara’s Youth Leadership Academy Australia event in the centre of Sydney. I was greeted with a couple of hundred primary school students who were incredibly eager to hear a story about a shark and they got exactly what they wanted. It was definitely an adjustment to go from the emotional presentation of the morning, to the high energy environment full of school kids but I absolutely loved being able to do both on the same day.

I’ve been impressed by the work that Wil has done to put together a number of events that engage and educate young people so it was great to finally see it all in action. I’ve definitely never been asked for so many autographs in my life and the sheer number of questions at the end didn’t exactly suit the allotted 5 minute Q&A period but the thing about curious young kids is they’ll always find a way to push the envelope and turn 5 minutes into 15.

Podcasts.

And finally, a couple of podcasts for you to listen to. I managed to jump on two this week which might sound like more than usual but when podcasts all have their different audiences and angles you find there’s plenty to talk about once we cover the obligatory shark story. On that note I think it’s important to say that I’m still not sick of telling this tale. I find it fascinating seeing how different people respond and react to the story and the way their questions follow always spices things up enough for me to want to keep doing it.

South Coast Kook has been a podcast I’ve known about for a while as it’s run by a local, Mat King. This one is definitely more surf related which is always something that I enjoy speaking to as it’s not a common conversation topic of mine these days even if it is still such a big part of my life.

Mat has brought me in to speak at Surf Life Festival in Gerringong this Saturday, April 1st so if you’d like to come down and hear me talk, it’s free and the details of the event can be found on their website.

And finally, Life, Money and Love with Dylan Mullan was a real pleasure to jump on and speak about a lot of the thoughts and emotions beyond the attack. I first heard of Dylan through good friend of mine, Bradley Dryburgh and he couldn’t speak highly enough of Dylan’s approach towards interviews and the guests he has on.

This is a great example of why I love to do a bunch of different podcasts because the perspective of the host can not only alter the messages in the story, but can also help me learn more about my own experiences by going down different paths and asking some questions that I don’t come across all that often.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s been a big week with plenty of moments to be grateful for and plenty of growth to take into whatever lies ahead. One thing that I have definitely felt this week is momentum. I’ve been building towards weeks like this for a long time and although I would still consider it early days with a lot more to come, I’ve had a lot of exciting stuff going on behind the scenes that’s giving me a huge sense of progress that I can’t wait to live out.